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<br />Executive Summary <br /> <br />This project was initiated as a feasibility study to determine if channel catfish abundance in <br /> <br />the lower Yampa River could be reduced through mechanical removal. The study area on the <br /> <br />Yampa River extended from the upstream reach of Yampa Canyon to Laddie Park. The river was <br /> <br />stratified into 4 longitudinal reaches. Each individual longitudinal reach was subdivided into two <br /> <br />reaches, in which one of the two was randomly designated as a removal (treatment) reach. The <br /> <br />remaining reach was designated as a control reach. Channel catfish were removed from treatment <br /> <br />reaches during multiple passes during 1998 and 1999. Catfish were not removed from control <br /> <br />reaches until the last pass of each season to allow comparison of relative densities between <br /> <br />treatment (removal) and control (non-removal) reaches.. <br /> <br />In a comparison of several methodologies, angling was determined to be the most effective <br /> <br />method of removing channel catfish. Although other methods were more effective per hour of <br /> <br />effort, more fish could be removed per trip by angling, particularly when volunteer help was <br /> <br />provided. During both years, 4,256 channel catfish were removed from the Yampa River. <br /> <br />Although this number was much fewer than removed by earlier studies on the Green and San Juan <br /> <br />rivers, comparison of treatment with control catch rates suggested that the channel catfish <br /> <br />population in three of the four reaches had been significantly reduced. Regression analysis <br /> <br />indicated that channel catfish densities in the Yampa River were much less than reported in the San <br /> <br />Juan River, but similar to those reported in the Yampa River upstream of the study area. The <br /> <br />condition of channel catfish was relatively low suggesting that the carrying capacity may not be as <br /> <br />high as other rivers. A pattern in length frequency was apparent in that average size of channel <br /> <br />VI <br />